


Moon Phases

by Mahou_Mahou



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Illustrated by Raine, M/M, Mikleo is more oblivious and dumb than Sorey in this one, Moon!Mikleo, SO MUCH FLUFF, Slow Burn, SorMik, Sorey attempt with poetry, Sormik Big Bang 2019, Sun & Moon AU, Sun!Sorey, They are in love and they both know it, They are princes, and a little angst, but Mikleo is in eternal denial and misunderstands everything, soymilk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:00:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21825568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mahou_Mahou/pseuds/Mahou_Mahou
Summary: "The Sun has long fallen in love with the Moon and has done everything in his reach to conquer its heart, but the timid and stubborn Moon has always rejected it, afraid of these feelings. Time will teach that one cannot simply ignore such a strong and true love for so much time."A story that tells how Sorey, the sun prince, falls ill for love after so many years trying to conquer the love of Mikleo, the moon prince, who’s not willing to believe him and misunderstand everything.
Relationships: Mikleo & Sorey (Tales of Zestiria), Mikleo/Sorey (Tales of Zestiria)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 61
Collections: Sormik Big Bang 2019





	Moon Phases

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! I was so excited to write this and I'm super glad that I could finish in time even with how busy I was with many things TuT
> 
> So yeah, this is my fic for the Sormik Big Bang 2019! I love Sun & Moon AUs so I couldn't resist! 
> 
> Many thanks to my beta Cupcake! (Check out their [fanfic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21546514/chapters/51364000) for the Big Bang!) 
> 
> My amazing artist Raine (check out their [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Naerain1?s=09)/[Tumblr](https://naerain.tumblr.com/)!) 
> 
> And my lovely gf that saw all my steps of madness during this and helped me.
> 
> (Since I'm having serious problems inserting Raine's art piece into AO3, click [here](https://naerain.tumblr.com/post/189619191282/heres-my-piece-for-the-sormik-big-bang-everyone) to see it, and if I can, I'll insert the art later. So sorry!!)

**"But I love you so much more**

**than just to the moon and back."**

* * *

In a fantasy world divided into two kingdoms, where magic and different species coexisted, every living being had its function, including the princes of the kingdom of day and night who had the role of raising and lowering the sun and the moon.

Sorey, the sun prince of the day kingdom, is merry with an infinitely kind and warm heart and curious eyes, who wanted to explore every corner of the world and brighten the day of those who saw him.

Mikleo, the moon prince of the night realm, is as quiet as night and possesses great intelligence, with watchful eyes that devoured books and fascinated the people who saw him.

Both had a lot of differences and, at the same time, many similarities.

In the night kingdom lived all the beings that influenced and were responsible for the nights, while in the realm of the day lived those responsible for the day; however, despite the names and division of homes, both kingdoms possessed the presence of night and day and lived harmoniously.

The first encounter between Sorey and Mikleo was at the celebration of the Moon having turned seven years old, which was held in the village of Dusk and Dawn located between the two kingdoms. It would be the first time that Mikleo would raise the moon alone without the aid of his mother, the queen of the night Muse, and he was nervous to do it in front of so many people he didn't know. 

Mikleo was adorable, wearing a beautiful blue and white tunic adorned with silver details that matched his silver circlet with its beautiful turquoise jewel in the center. He was near the fountain in the square where the festivities took place, timidly greeting those who approached him. There weren't many children of his age for him to play with, so Mikleo always stayed at the night's castle reading books, learning with his tutors and practicing artes; it was lonely, but Mikleo was never really bothered by this.

At that moment, Sorey arrived along with the court of the Day wearing elegant clothes in the color of sunlight rays, but they were a bit uncomfortable for someone as anxious as him. Sorey would also participate in the ceremony by lowering the sun while Mikleo would raise the moon. He had heard a lot about the prince of the night kingdom but never had the opportunity to meet him in person - his mother told him that they met once when they were babies, though. The idea of having someone the same age as him was exciting, and he couldn’t keep quiet, yearning to meet the Moon.

His mother, the queen of the day, Selene, tried to calm him down as they entered the village further toward the regents of the night, but, at every step, Sorey seemed to shine brighter with little jumps. On the opposite side, Mikleo was curious to meet the other prince, but the nervousness seemed to prevent him from getting excited like the other. He was partially hiding behind his mother when Sorey and Selene approached to greet them.

"Muse, it's been a while since the last time we met!" Selene greeted her old friend with a simple hug, smiling.

"You should come and visit us more often." She reciprocated the hug with a giggle and pulled away slightly so that Mikleo would stop hiding in the layers of her dress. "Come on, Mikleo, you know it's impolite to not greet others. Do you remember Selene and Sorey?" Of course he did not remember, he was practically a baby back then. He just shook his head, denying. 

At that moment, Sorey decided to take a few steps forward, obtaining a better view of the other and, with the brightest smile ever seen, greeted Muse and Mikleo.

"I am Sorey, the Sun, it is a pleasure to meet you!" Mikleo took a step back from all that excitement, still dubious.

"Mikleo, the Moon, the pleasure is mine ..." He answered in a low tone, avoiding eye contact.

"Forgive Mikleo, he's nervous for today," Muse said, stroking her son's platinum-bluish hair affectionately. "Why don’t you go play a bit with Sorey, Mikleo? You still have time before sunset.”

"Why don’t you show him your favorite places, Sorey?" Selene encouraged, and Sorey nods with a grin; he takes Mikleo's hand and runs off, pulling the poor Moon behind him as the queens watched amusingly.

The inhabitants of both kingdoms made their way as the princes passed by, some surprised and some with a smile. The Sun took the Moon to the forest that surrounded the village, a place more hidden by the vegetation. On the way, Mikleo almost tripped twice, resulting in the Sun apologizing, when they finally stopped in a clearing where a crystal clear lake reflected the sunlight. 

It was a place away from the noise of the party in the village, where Mikleo and Sorey could only hear the birdsong, the swaying of trees, and the buzzing of insects. In the center of the lake stood a gazebo made of white stone, which, although ancient, nature seemed to pity and preserve. Sorey looked at Mikleo, who was a bit perplexed at the place, smiling.

“What do you think?! I found this place last month!" Sorey asked and walked to the bridge linking the land to the dome on the lake. Mikleo followed him carefully, still looking around.

"It's beautiful…."

"I don't think anyone else knows about this place, so let's make this our secret place?! We can decorate the gazebo any way we want! "

Mikleo, like every kid, would love to have some cool secrets like a secret spot that only he knew about... Well, in that case, Sorey knows too, but it's more fun when you're not alone. He smiled, nodding at Sorey, now more excited. The other kid was just like Mikleo thought he would be, vivid and bright like the sun itself. He found himself growing fond of Sorey in so little time.

"What can we do here?" asked the Moon.

"Whatever we want! We can observe the sky, draw, read, or do absolutely nothing!" The Sun answered, already under the ceiling of the gazebo, calling Mikleo with his hands. 

For the size of two children, that place was as gigantic as a castle. Yes, that would be their castle, where they could share memories and secrets that nobody else would know. Mikleo followed Sorey under the gazebo, already making plans with the Sun for how to decorate the place and what amazing things they could do there. 

In the end, both established a friendship and Mikleo succeeded in raising the moon in the sky, now with the company of his new friend.

* * *

Even after seven hundred years, Sorey still remembered that day clearly and never imagined that the events of the following years would happen so quickly and result in his current situation.

Even though it was technically impossible for the Sun to fall ill, he accomplished such a feat, and the reason was simple: Love. He loved the Moon. He loved Mikleo. But even after so many attempts, the Moon denied both the feelings of the Sun and his own. Unfortunately, Sorey did not know that his love was fully reciprocated, and his heart began to shatter; and the sun in the sky that formerly surpassed any other type of brightness, now looked dejected, gray and dull.

The symptoms had already appeared some time ago, but only now were they serious enough that Sorey remained inside the walls of the castle for days unending, suffering from a pain that no doctor or spirit could discover or name what it was.

Despite all the pain in his chest, Sorey never regretted loving Mikleo, let alone having done everything he did for him.

* * *

When they were thirteen years old, Sorey declared to himself that what he felt for Mikleo went much beyond friendship and started to question it.

It was a relatively hot summer afternoon, Mikleo and Sorey were reading in the secret gazebo, now clean and with some cushions and cookies Sorey brought that day. Sorey was lying face down on a cushion next to Mikleo, who sat using one of the pillars for support.

While the Moon was concentrated on reading his book, the Sun couldn’t focus on the words of his own, constantly looking at Mikleo in a movement that seemed to him discreet, but, of course, after a few minutes, Mikleo would lower his book feeling the weight of those glances, raising an eyebrow at the dark-haired boy.

"Something wrong, Sorey?"

Sorey laughed sheepishly, scratching his hair when he was caught and leaving the book entirely aside.

"It's nothing ... I just really like your clothes."

"I've owned these clothes for a long time, Sorey."

The Moon clearly wasn't believing a word the Sun said, so he just waited for the other to explain. Sorey sighed in defeat.

"It's just that these days, I was reading a book of poems and realized that there are a lot of poems talking about you and your beauty."

Mikleo didn't expect that, so his cheeks flushed a little, but he remained serious as if unaffected by that information.

" _And?_ "

"I agree with the poems." Sorey said honestly and Mikleo closed his book suddenly. 

Even after so many years of people praising his beauty, the Moon still didn't get used to all those adjectives attributed to him. To Mikleo, everyone overreacted when writing about him, sometimes it even sounded empty and without meaning, but hearing such words coming from Sorey was different, and it always makes him a little more embarrassed.

“R-really? Well, I say there's nothing exciting about it.” He stood up, no longer so interested in continuing his reading.

"Don't you like the poems...?" Sorey stood up too, worried that he offended his friend.

“It's not that I don't like it… It's just…”

The Moon just wanted them to change the subject. Mikleo left the book along with the pile of others in one corner and sat on the edge of the stone railing of the gazebo, looking at the water that waved from side to side and reflected the scorching sun that day. Sorey noticed Mikleo's discomfort and felt guilty for the other man's expression, approaching slowly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you bothered like this."

“Don't blame yourself, Sorey! It's nothing to worry about, I'm really not bother- ”

Ah, what better to do on a hot summer day than cool off in the clean waters of a lake? Mikleo could think of at least ten better things to do as he fell off the edge of the gazebo and plunged into the cold water after losing his balance, as he turned too quickly to look at Sorey. The cold water of the lake stung his skin, making him dizzy for milliseconds without being able to process his surroundings, even though it was both cozy and scary at the same time. The Sun even tried to catch him in time, but his effort was in vain, and he couldn't catch him in time, so obviously he jumped into the water after Mikleo.

It was fortunate Sorey made that decision. Mikleo couldn't swim, and the lake might not be extremely deep, but it wasn't exactly shallow either. The Moon recovered from the shock of falling into the water with despair, and soon the Sun saved him from drowning, dragging him as close as he could to the shallowest part of the lake.

Mikleo didn't let go of Sorey even when he could finally stand still in the water, catching his breath after the last few minutes. The two of them were silent for a moment looking at each other, and truthfully, Sorey couldn't help but admire the beauty of the wet porcelain skin shining in the sun and the strands of Mikleo's pale hair sticking to his face. The amethysts in his eyes shone brighter than ever. At that moment, his heart pounded for some reason, the feeling of having Mikleo in his arms seemed more than perfect, seemed to complete him in the right way, and then Sorey knew that he would be forced to live with that feeling, hitherto unknown, throughout his existence.

Mikleo got out of his trance after a few minutes, letting go of Sorey and finally getting out of the lake, the heavy wet clothes on his body bothering him. The Sun followed him out of the water, lying on the grass tiredly and looking at the sky as the Moon tried to wipe excess water from his clothes. 

A laugh.

It started low, slowly growing to a loud, cheerful laugh.

"Don't laugh, I could have died, you know?" Mikleo glared at him, finally straightening his hair as best he could.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm not laughing at you, I swear!" Sorey said grinning and Mikleo couldn't believe him any less as much as the Sun was indeed telling the truth.

"What are you laughing at then?"

“Happiness, I guess." He shrugged smiling, "Changing the subject, you never told me you couldn't swim.” 

Mikleo didn't understand the answer, but put it aside, snorting through his nose. 

“I never had time to learn…”

"Then someday I'll teach you so we can explore the lake together, okay?"

Sorey extended a clenched fist to Mikleo, and he finally smiled and bumped his own clenched fist with Sorey's.

"I'll look forward to that."

After that, the Sun and the Moon spent a few more minutes talking in the grass, and when they returned to the village of Dusk and Dawn, they were scolded by Zenrus - the village chief - for getting their clothes dirty and wet. It was very refreshing, though, and they didn't regret it.

* * *

A few more years passed, and Sorey's love for Mikleo only grew more and deeper, even if the other did not realize it. That night, it was the 100th anniversary of the Moon, so a special party was given in the village, and again, everyone in the two kingdoms was invited.

Long ago, Mikleo learned to stop being nervous about that kind of festivity, having already become acquainted with several inhabitants who adored him as he adored them. Mikleo arrived in the village in an elegant silver carriage adorned with the crest of the realm of the night; Mikleo stepped down from the carriage gracefully. According to Sorey, who saw the scene near the fountain -he had arrived earlier at the party to make sure Mikleo's present was perfect, Mikleo was more beautiful than the moon he represented. 

Mikleo's robes were made of soft and delicate fabrics, the main colors being different shades of blue with shimmering white accents that created a fascinating contrast to each other. All adorned with silver accessories and turquoise jewelry which matched the jewel of his circlet, however concealed it was under his hair, it was still possible to see glimmers with the movements of the prince. He was breathtaking in the layered cloak (one of them being translucent) fluttering behind him as Mikleo took calm steps, moving farther and farther from the carriage, greeting the people. It was unusual for the clothes of the realm of the night to be decorated with feathers, but Mikleo's outfit had two blue fluffy feathers near his heart, making the entire ensemble even more elegant, holding the feathers was the crest of the royal family of the kingdom of the night.

The Moon gracefully walked down the path to the fountain to greet the rulers of the day and the village chief, Zenrus. Sorey was also radiant in his own way, wearing light-fabric clothing with white as base color, but in red and orange accents adorned with gold accessories, red jewels, and his iconic orange feathers. Behind him fell an equally red cloak stitched with golden details on the inside and on the outside the crest of the royal family of the kingdom of the day. All those colors gave an incredible contrast to his green eyes. He was really handsome in Mikleo's opinion.

With the silence between the two young men looking at each other, Muse and Selene could not stop a soft laugh that came out. The ruler of the day began by speaking first after the laughter drew the prince's attention.

"I can not believe it's been a hundred years already..."

"Time really goes by. I don’t want my cute son growing so fast ..." Muse said, putting her hands to her face with a feigned expression of sadness, Selene agreeing with her.

"Mother, I'm not even that old compared to you." Mikleo started to protest but Muse stopped him by gently stroking his hair. 

"Shush, you never talk about a lady's age, Mikleo; I taught you better than that." Muse scolded her son, smirking, "Now, go enjoy the party, there are many people who want to congratulate you!" 

The Moon did not even try to resist, moving away from the queens with Sorey, who struggled to look away from Mikleo. 

"You look gorgeous... Not that you normally don't! But it's been a long time since I've seen you wear such elegant clothes." The Sun said with his habit of scratching his cheek every time he was nervous or embarrassed. Mikleo blushed slightly, smiling.

"You're not bad either, Sorey ..."

"Is that all you're going to say?!"

They both laughed and made their way through the party, talking to other people and nibbling on snacks and drinks that were being served. 

At one point in the party, after Mikleo raised the moon in the sky - with gentle arm and hand movements as if conducting an orchestra - He noticed Sorey's disappearance seconds later, he couldn't guess where the Sun would have gone at that moment. The night had fallen and soon they would have a fireworks show! He doubted that Sorey would ever miss a performance like that. Of course, the Moon went to investigate and, after asking practically everybody, confirmed that Sorey really wasn’t at the party. Mikleo felt a bit of worry take him, so he went to the forest to try his luck and see if he could find him there. The Moon just hoped he was okay.

On the way, there was no sign of Sorey until Mikleo arrived at the secret lake of theirs, and he lost his breath at the marvel that was the vision of the place so dear to him.

The lake gently reflected the light of the moon, but what really attracted his attention was the bridge decorated with luminescent ivy that lit the way effortlessly until the gazebo, which was decorated with flowers and magical lights that floated on the ceiling, completely illuminating the interior and Sorey, who was standing in the center facing Mikleo with a lively and gentle smile. Mikleo smiled back, surprised by all that, and walked over to where Sorey stood.

"You finally arrived!" The Sun took a few steps toward the Moon as he stepped inside the gazebo.

"What is all this? I was worried when you disappeared, you know?" Mikleo tried to berate him, but he couldn’t shake the smile off his face.

"Sorry, I was making sure everything was in order!"

"Then why were you waiting for me to show up here?" The Moon crossed his arms, arching an eyebrow. The Sun laughed uneasily.

"I was thinking of how to invite you here... Good thing I did not have to do that right?"

"You never change ..." Mikleo laughed softly at Sorey, shaking his head in disapproval.

Sorey at one point looked away and scratched his face, and after a few seconds reached out a hand to Mikleo, grinning sheepishly. 

"Before I give you your birthday present, would you give me the honor of dancing with me? Please don't refuse, I have prepared all this just thinking of this moment."

Mikleo blushed slightly at the request, but still put his hand on Sorey's outstretched, a soft smile on his face.

"Of course, I don’t see why to refuse ..."

Sorey smiled more and guided Mikleo further down the center of the gazebo before pulling him closer, placing his free hand on his torso at a respectful height. He asked for permission by looking at Mikleo, and when he nodded, they both began to move in the rhythm of the distant music that could still be heard at the village party. All the books and piles of blankets and pillows that they kept there were removed to somewhere, leaving a clean open space for them to dance a sweet waltz. 

Sorey was not a very good dancer, unlike Mikleo who seemed to flow like water itself, so even though he was guiding, Mikleo seemed to do most of the work to avoid any kind of mistake in the footsteps of both.

"You're amazing for being able to dance like that." The Sun said without thinking. 

"Just for being able to dance?" He replied arching one eyebrow again but then laughing, staring at him with that sharp gaze. "Well, I rarely run away from my daily lessons, unlike _someone_." The Moon replied suggestively.

"Hey! There were times where I was victorious in bringing you with me on my explorations!" He said proudly, and Mikleo slapped his arm weakly, not missing the dance rhythm.

"Don’t talk like it's something to be proud of. Every time it happened we got scolded by our mothers!" 

"But you never stopped coming with me, did you?" Sorey smirked mischievously and Mikleo turned his face away blushing slightly.

"Shut up and keep dancing,” He said with a lovely pout and Sorey laughed, following the other's footsteps. They stayed in that rhythm for some time until the song stopped in the village.

"They must be getting ready for the fireworks ... We should go back," Mikleo announced, stepping away from Sorey's arms, but Sorey held their distance, grabbing his arm before Mikleo could move further.

"Wait a minute, I haven't given you your present yet!"

The Moon turned again to the Sun, curious.

"I thought the dance was my gift."

"I said I was going to give you your present _after_ the dance. It's your 100th birthday! I can not leave you without a memory of me on this day! "

He smiled and picked up a small white box that Mikleo could swear was not in the gazebo before. Sorey handed it to Mikleo, who did not take long to open it, and from within drew a chain made of gold and white gold; on the end hung a pendant of a fusion of the crests of the kingdom of the day and of the night made with the same materials as the chain and adorned with small blue and green gems. 

"This is beautiful! Where did you get someone to make this?" The Moon said with his eyes shining, and the Sun took the pendant from his hands gently.

"It's not just that, it opens! Inside you can save some photo or paper!" He said, opening to show Mikleo, who looked even more in awe, picking up the pendant again and analyzing the details inscribed on the inside. Sorey didn't get someone to make the pendant, he made all of it himself with some help and instruction from the spirits of the village. 

"From Sorey to Mikleo. From the Sun to the Moon. More radiant than any other star or gem..." Mikleo read aloud, running his fingers over the letters engraved on the metal and with the date next to it. "It's the best gift ever, Sorey! Thank you so much."

He smiled an honest smile and turned his back to Sorey, holding the pendant in front of his neck. "Would you put it on for me, please?"

Sorey blinked a few times and then put the pendant around Mikleo's neck, releasing it gently when he was done, and the Moon turned to him again still smiling, "I'll keep it forever. It will be my most precious treasure."

And before Sorey could say anything, the first fireworks exploded in the sky, causing a shower of colors and successfully attracting the attention of the two still in the gazebo. Mikleo leaned forward, enchanted by the colors that danced in the sky and were reflected in the lake, while Sorey could not look away from the Moon. It was a very beautiful scene, the fireworks, the lake, the moon, and Mikleo; forming a composition more beautiful than the starry sky. The Sun could not avoid touching his pale face lightly, making Mikleo turn his face to Sorey once more.

"What is it? You're missing the show, Sorey. "

Mikleo smiled again, surprised at his friend's attitude, but that was it for Sorey, who couldn't control himself and moved closer to the other's face until they finally pressed their lips together. It might have lasted for hours or just a few seconds, but neither of them could say it after they quickly separated, each to one side. Both were blushing hard, the Moon with one hand on his lips still surprised by the sudden kiss initiated by the Sun. Sorey was as surprised as Mikleo was, but more ashamed for actually kissing him than anything, even so lightly; and oh lord, those lips were as soft as the petals of a rose, and Sorey was almost certain they could be addictive if they had stayed pressed any longer.

Before giving the Sun time to explain himself, Mikleo hurried out into the forest, leaving Sorey alone in the gazebo with the fireworks still casting into the dark sky. Sorey slowly leaned against one of the pillars and slid to the ground in a long sigh. He didn’t blame Mikleo for running away, he would give him space for a while and at another time he would properly declare his feelings.

And Sorey already had an idea of how.

For the rest of the night, until the return of the rulers of the two kingdoms to their respective castles, Mikleo stayed far from Sorey. If only the Sun had not done the same by giving him space, he might have noticed the blush still on the cheeks of the Moon.

* * *

After that day Sorey’s and Mikleo’s interaction reduced to exchanging very few words when they saw each other, and Sorey was starting to get a little worried.

One day, tired of reaching dead ends trying to figure out how to talk to Mikleo, he went to seek advice from Lailah, one of queen Selene’s counselors and also a powerful fire spirit. That could be a great idea or the worst of all.

Sorey spotted Lailah from far away in one of the gardens, with her long white hair and her remarkable flowing red dress that resembled the flames she controlled. He approached cautiously, wondering what words to use to explain his situation, but of course, Lailah would have noticed him approaching much earlier.

“Sorey! To what do I owe the honor of seeing you still in the castle so late? It surprises me that you are not exploring the forest again by now.”

Even with a cheerful voice, deep inside Sorey could feel a slight tone of disapproval and threat for him missing his lessons again; everyone knew his bad habit of running away from his daily duties. He swallowed hard and moved closer to his mentor.

“Lady Lailah… The truth is there is something that concerns me… ”

He decided not to keep stalling, and the counselor quickly took his hands and pulled him to a bench near the bushes. Sorey noticed a worried look on her face.

“Oh no, what worries you so much, Sorey? Could it be love?!” Nevermind, she was too excited for such concerns to be true.

“NO!… Or rather, yes. But it's not what you think!” The Sun tried to begin to explain himself in a troubled way.

“Oh, young love…” Lailah sighed dreamily, and Sorey was beginning to regret coming to her for advice. "Tell me what happened between you and Mikleo." Sorey almost choked on the phrase.

“M-Mikleo? How do you know it's about Mikleo?!”

“Don't be silly, Sorey. Anyone can see that your lack of excitement lately is because something happened between you. ”

Sorey sighed in defeat and leaned back on the bench with his head hanging back. Since it was obvious, then there was no reason to prolong this conversation.

"Something -let's put it that way- happened on Mikleo's birthday. It's entirely my fault, and I don't know how to apologize. ”

“Was it something so serious that just an apology can't solve it?” She truly looked worried now.

"I don't know ... But I don't want things to continue to be awkward between us."

"So just be honest and clarify everything that happened."

She said like it was simple... But maybe it was, and Sorey was just worrying too much, running the same scene of the two kissing and Mikleo running away from him right after. It was kind of traumatic to be rejected like that, but he guessed it was _way_ more traumatic to Mikleo to be kissed from out of nowhere. With Lailah's words, Sorey seemed more determined, rising with a self-assured look and turning to the fire spirit again, this time with a smile.

"You know what?? I will do just that. Thank you, Lailah! ”

Sorey thanked her and ran off, leaving a smiling Lailah behind. She just hoped everything would work out and they could both get back to normal. The days weren't the same without Sorey babbling about his activities with Mikleo. Everyone was counting the days until they declared their feelings to each other, and Lailah hoped this was the moment (she would win Rose's bet if that happened!).

That same day, Sorey went to look for Mikleo in the Kingdom of the Night. They both knew each other's routine, so if Sorey's memory wasn't betraying him, Mikleo was, at that moment, practicing archery in a grove near the castle of the night, where no one would disturb him - except for Sorey, of course, who was almost there. Windur was fast as the wind, living up to his name (Yes, his horse was named Windur, a fine choice not so different from Acqua, which was the name Mikleo chose for his mare and yet insisted on looking weirdly at the great name that is Windur!) And in less than an hour of horse-riding Sorey was approaching the lush gates of the castle.

The Sun greeted some guards and servants who had not expected to see him there and confirmed that Mikleo was training in the woods. Sorey left Windur in the royal stable and set off to meet the Moon, still somewhat anxious. The woods weren’t dense, and many harmless animals lived there too. Sorey only rarely explored because it’s too far from the Kingdom of the Day to go there all the time; yet, he knew he could find himself the right path to the clearing Mikleo used for his training.

The Moon was feeling mixed emotions for days, low-spirited from the lack of contact with Sorey, but remembering the Sun made him embarrassed and angry. How dare he kiss him without any explanation and not talk to Mikleo anymore?! Each frustrated thought was a straight arrow at one of several targets scattered across the forest clearing. What did that mean? Did Sorey like him? It's true that the Moon also distanced himself from the Sun after the event, but the silence was becoming unbearable with each day that passed.

More arrows on the targets, each charged with its own fury and shame. He was so lost in thought that Mikleo didn't even notice Sorey's arrival in the clearing, startled when he called and made him miss the last target he was aiming at. The Sun flinched as the Moon turned to him with the bow still in hand and the face twisting from his anger. Now he decides to appear from nowhere to mess with his training?!

"What are you doing here, Sorey?"

"I came to talk to you about, you know, what happened on your birthday…”He responded half-shyly, looking anywhere but at Mikleo, not even noticing when he set aside his bow and arrows to pick up his night-adorned staff, his main weapon.

"Let's duel."Mikleo said determinedly, ignoring Sorey's purpose to be there. 

The Sun swallowed hard at the Moon's aggressive stance, with a rage he had only seen once, when Sorey ate all the ice cream Mikleo had prepared for dessert. Sorey knew his anger was his fault.

"M-Mikleo, let's talk first, pretty please?" He tried to rationalize, narrowly averting Mikleo's quick attack.

"We are going to duel. You have your sword with you, don't you? ”

His determination never failed, continuing with precise attacks toward the Sun, who deflected as best he could since he couldn’t approach the Moon as the staff prevented it. Sorey always wielded his sword as a precaution. It was nothing threatening because it was more of a decoration than a battle weapon - the blade unsharpened, dull so as to not injure. Sorey tried to keep talking to Mikleo and make him stop attacking him, but the Moon wouldn't listen to him, never ceasing his well-trained attacks. The Sun got tired of it and finally drew his sword, blocking one of the attacks. Sorey shoved the staff to the left with his sword and tried to counter the breach that opened on Mikleo's right, but the Moon had been faster and jumped back to avoid the blow.

"Mikleo, please calm down!"

"I'm perfectly calm!" Mikleo replied, clearly not calm.

The combat lasted for a few minutes, both fighting as they argued through the sound of weapons clashing. They were already exhausted from this duel, but neither was willing to stop - at least not Mikleo - and their movements were gradually slowing down. At one point, Sorey managed to get Mikleo to release his staff, throwing it away and thwarting the Moon. Mikleo stared at Sorey with piercing angry eyes, shifting his gaze between him and his thrown weapon, planning what to do next.

"Mikleo, that's it! Please accept your defeat and let's talk!"

Sorey once again tried to speak, slowly approaching with his guard down once more. However, Mikleo would not surrender so easily. He rushed to his other weapon that was more accessible at the moment than the staff: his bow and arrows. The Sun, in a moment of despair, ran after him too, almost tripping over the path. Mikleo managed to get the bow, turning around as Sorey practically jumped on him with the sword back in position. Mikleo swerved off in time with a spin, Sorey was unable to stop him and still wobbled in the process, falling with his back into the nearest tree. It all happened too fast, and in the next moment Mikleo was bending over Sorey, pointing an arrow at him, and Sorey - who miraculously recovered in time from the near fall - had his sword almost touching the Moon's neck. Both were breathing heavily.

After a few seconds of intense silence, Mikleo jerked away from Sorey, dropping the bow and arrow carelessly on the ground. Sorey looked a little confused, but relieved that they had finally stopped. _Could this be considered as a surrender by the Moon?_ He pondered, but of course not long enough since the first thing he said was without thinking.

"You really must be mad at me if you're surrendering."

_Mad at me for doing what I shouldn't do that day._

“I am not surrendering, I am accepting my defeat. You defeated me the moment you disarmed me, what I did next would not be valid within the terms of a duel.” He answered with his back to Sorey, with a cold neutral voice.

"... I know you would have stopped before if you weren't like this right now."

"Like what?"

“Angry at me… For what I did…”

Silence settled again between them.

“Mikleo, I'm really sorry for what I did! I-I like you very much, but I don't want it to interfere with our relationship that way if it's going to be this awkward between us!” Sorey said, finally rising from the ground, catching a little more breath. “So- so if you prefer or think it’s better, just forget what happened that day…”

Mikleo listened carefully. Sorey liked him but thought they better have nothing? Wouldn't something between them work? It wasn't love? Probably not. Mikleo couldn't think what it would be like if the Sun and Moon were together, nothing like that had ever happened before. Sorey was right about what he meant between the lines. He clenched his fists tightly before relaxing again and turning to the Sun, smiling after his own conclusion.

“I don't want this awkwardness between us anymore as well, Sorey. Let's get back to normal please.”

In an instant, the Sun was close to the Moon, holding his hands with his face lit with happiness. Mikleo turned his face shyly at the sudden closeness with a little blush, it even seemed like they were back in their early years when they were barely acquainted.

"I swear I won't anger you again, Mikleo!" He promised to the Moon.

_I swear I'll still win your heart, Mikleo._ He promised to himself.

_At least in a less reckless way, like that kiss-_

They smiled at each other, hearts secretly broken, but nonetheless happy about being together once more.

* * *

Sorey and Mikleo were back to their relationship from before; always together. The only difference is that the Sun now seemed to be more affectionate with the Moon than it would have thought possible, occasionally also giving him simple gifts that made the Moon hesitant but blush at the same time.

On a spring afternoon after another two hundred years from that day, the Sun and Moon walked through the gardens of the Day kingdom’s castle, where the flowers were more beautiful than ever before, surprising everyone with the vastness of colors present. Sorey was chattering about something while Mikleo nodded occasionally, absent-minded, and Sorey noticed that. 

"Is something wrong, Mikleo?" Sorey asked and Mikleo finally looked at him a little confused before smiling weakly.

"There's nothing wrong, Sorey."

"Are you sure? You were daydreaming.”

“I was just admiring the flowers. At night you can't see them, and the little light it has is from fireflies and stars.” The Moon said in an almost melancholy tone and Sorey frowned for a moment. At night, it was not possible to completely admire the flowers, but still it had the beautiful starry sky and wonders that can only happen at night like hearing the sound of owls. It was the only time where they could admire the moon. 

"What I mean, Sorey, is that sometimes I miss the flowers during cold, dark nights."

Sorey nodded and paused to think for a moment as they continued to walk among the flowers. If Mikleo missed the flowers at night, then maybe he could do something about it, and Sorey would do anything to make the Moon happy. He smiled to himself, already having an idea of what he was going to do while the Moon walked a few steps ahead of him without realizing the Sun's intentions.

It was many hard days of work for Sorey, thinking about what kind of beautiful flower he would make for Mikleo. It had to be exuberant like the moon, but without attracting all the attention of the night. With an aroma that combined with the cold pleasantly but not top discreet. It had to shine like a star but without blinding anyone. And finally, it would have to survive and last both during day and night. Sorey admitted that it was too much work, sacrificing days of possible adventures with Mikleo to create every detail of the Moon’s gift, but in the end, it was all worth it. His creation was perfect just like the Moon, and Sorey hoped he liked the surprise.

Mikleo considered Sorey's behavior for the past few days quite strange: always making excuses that he was busy with royal duties and lessons, so he couldn’t go out with the Moon that day and changing the subject every time Mikleo asked why he was so worried and distracted. Of course, Mikleo tried to ask the day court members about what Sorey was doing, but even Lailah didn't answer, doing the same as the Sun and completely changing the subject. For a moment Mikleo thought he had done something wrong that affected their relationship again, but then he realized that nothing had changed but Sorey's occupation of time with a mysterious task that no one gave him hints about. The Moon sighed and left the Sun alone for a few days, not pressuring him about it anymore, and Sorey seemed grateful for that.

One day, Sorey begged Mikleo to spend the day inside his room without opening the windows, he said it was a surprise related to his absence in the last few days, and the Moon agreed without much fuss. Although he didn't like the idea of staying a whole day inside his room, he could at least catch up on his piles of books.

It was almost sunset when Sorey unexpectedly appeared at his bedroom door, his clothes were a little dirty and his hair was messy (not that it made much of a difference from his usual hairstyle), but despite his decadent appearance, his smile was brighter than ever as the very star he represented. He leapt into the room, taking Mikleo's hands, saying that everything was ready and that he could finally reveal what he was working on the past few days.

Without waiting for a response from the Moon, Sorey pushed him over to the balcony of the bedroom that overlooked one sleek garden of the castle of the night, making sure to cover Mikleo's eyes on the way, causing him to almost fall. Mikleo could feel the warmth of the last rays of the day on his body, but they weren't as warm and welcoming as Sorey's hands.

"Not so fast, be careful not to fall!" Sorey said, guiding him to the edge of the balcony still blocking his view.

“You are the one pushing me!”

When his body reached the railing, he could feel the warmth of Sorey's chest practically pressed against his back, causing him to blush with the proximity even though the Sun didn't notice. Had he any sense of personal space?

"Can you lift the moon with your eyes closed?"

Sorey asked and Mikleo nodded without hesitation. He began to open the night with a graceful handling and, when Sorey finally took his hands off Mikleo's eyes, he took a few steps back making him feel the first cool breeze of the early evening. Mikleo blinked a few times just in time to see the last rays of sunlight leaving the sky at Sorey's command. His first instinct at sunset is always to look at the sky, but at that moment something else caught his eye before the endless constellations in the sky: fluorescent flowers planted right in the sight of his balcony. 

The flowers were planted to form the emblem not of the kingdom of the night, but of the moon itself, a design that Sorey created years ago for Mikleo and only Mikleo. They were elegant, swaying softly in the night breeze, their white petals gleamed beautifully with a bluish-white glow, and they looked soft like they could melt away with a simple and delicate touch, but in truth they were tough as diamonds. Mikleo gaped at the full intensity of the glow of the flowers as the sun went down, a contrast in the now dark garden to see anytime he wanted to.

"Like the surprise? It wasn't easy to create a new flower with features like that, but I think it was great for a first time.” Sorey said proudly approaching Mikleo once again, this time by his side, and smiling in embarrassment. The brightness of Sorey's smile will always be more beautiful than any other in Mikleo's opinion, more beautiful than the stars or the flower he created. The Moon returned the smile in ecstasy, his eyes shining with emotion. He hugged the Sun without thinking twice.

"It's wonderful, Sorey."

He hugged him harder, which made the Sun smile more and hug back. It passed an eternity until the two partially separated, both of them looking into each other's eyes while still in each other's arms. 

"Now every time you open the night and lift the moon from your room, you won't need to miss the flowers." Sorey said smiling softly, and Mikleo just hugged him close once more, admiring the flowers while wrapped in the comfort and warmth of Sorey's arms and body. The Moon felt like flying in the clouds.

From that day forward, every time Mikleo went out on his balcony, whether to raise the moon or to do something else, he found himself spending hours looking at his beloved Sun's precious gift. And he couldn’t be happier.

If only that happiness could last forever...

* * *

More years went by, and there was never any serious conflict between the Sun and the Moon. The closest thing to fighting last happened when Sorey dragged Mikleo to a new magical place he found in the woods, and they ended up being lost for three full days, resulting in chaos in the two kingdoms during their disappearance and various search groups after the two missing princes. After being rescued, Mikleo refused to talk to Sorey for a whole week for being mad at his carelessness.

Today, Sorey was grounded for evading his daily princely tasks and blowing up the castle kitchen when trying to surprise Mikleo by preparing his favorite dish. Even though the intention was good, it didn't stop him from being prohibited from leaving the castle for four days and receiving double lessons as punishment, and Lailah still said she convinced the queen for it to be _only_ four days, otherwise it would have been a whole week or even more.

There was nothing the Moon could do to help, so he simply went on with his routine and tasks - he was responsible despite every time he had run off with Sorey. Mikleo, in the afternoon, found himself with nothing to do, having finished his lessons right after lunch, so he was currently in his room reading a book that Alisha recommended. He thought he would be reading until dinner time, but apparently was wrong when he heard someone knocking on the door and entering the room without even waiting for any kind of permission. Mikleo grunted, for a moment sticking his face into the book.

"What is it, Edna?"

“Good afternoon to you too, _Melancholeo._ ” Edna closed the doors before walking to the Moon’s bed with her umbrella in her hands.

"Don't call me by weird nicknames. And I'm not melancholy."

"Your expression says otherwise." She sat on the edge of the bed as Mikleo seemed to try to melt into the soft covers.

“It's only been one day since Sorey has been grounded and you're already like that. You really are hopeless. When are you getting married? We don't want the risk of any of you getting sick from lack of contact.”

With that, the Moon quickly lifted his face from the bed, staring indignantly at the earth spirit, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Edna smirked, amused.

"What are you saying?! M-me and Sorey are not even together, what an absurd proposal of yours! ”

Edna shrugged at the Moon's speech, clearly oblivious to any words spoken, and Mikleo grunted again, falling back onto the bed.

“You can try to deceive yourself but you will _never_ be able to deceive me - i everyone can see how you two act like a lovey-dovey couple. In fact, Rose has already set up a bet with some people to see how long it takes for you two to be officially together.”

Mikleo was not surprised to learn about the bet, it was a typical Rose attitude, but this time there would be no winner as Sorey and Mikleo would never be together like they wished. Like _he_ wished. 

“You don't understand, Edna. Sorey wouldn't date me, he made that clear the other day.”

"I didn't know you had become a comedian, Meebo."

"Stop with the jokes already! It's impossible to have anything between us!" The Moon tried to explain, but Edna just rolled her eyes and got up once more from the bed, ignoring Mikleo and walking over to the desk in the bedroom, where some books and papers were scattered. She wasn’t really in the mood to talk Mikleo out of his depressing and negative thoughts, Lailah or Alisha were a better choice for such talk. All that Edna can do to help is trap them both in a rock prison and only release the two dorks after they kissed or something.

"I thought you were more organized than that, Meebo."

"It's just that I'm not done reading all of this yet, I got it from the castle library today."

Edna raised an eyebrow and picked up a partially hidden paper, quickly reading the contents and eventually laughing out loud, making the Moon look questioningly at her.

"What are you laughing about?"

“What's this here?” She swung the sheet of paper in front of Mikleo, and he widened his eyes blushing again.

"... It's a poem that Sorey wrote to me." He replied shyly.

"Another? He never gives up trying to write poetry. ”

Mikleo fell silent as Edna lifted the paper and read the poem aloud a little dramatically.

> “To the pale moon in the sky,
> 
> Thy beauty is more breathtaking than the stars,
> 
> Illuminating vaguely this cold realm of night,
> 
> Blessing dreams with sweet lullabies.
> 
> Beautiful white moon in my dreams,
> 
> I’d give you anything you wish,
> 
> Just so that you would smile for me,
> 
> Even if my true desire is to receive your kiss.”

More low giggles from Edna as she finished reading, Mikleo came over and snatched the paper from her hands, tucking it away in a protective manner.

“He may not be such a good poet but I still like his writing…”

"See? Like I said, forever hopelessly in love. ”

Mikleo has already lost count of how many times he grunted in the last ten minutes. He went to put the poem in one of the drawers and ended up looking at himself in the dressing table, noticing his hair ruffled by his failed attempt to merge with the bed.

"Ugh, my hair looks awful, thanks for letting me know, Edna."

He spoke sarcastically and picked up the comb that was on the dressing table, straightening the strands that rebelled in the moment of frustration. Edna shrugged at the sarcastic comment and watched him with the corner of her eyes, noticing how his platinum turquoise hair was almost past his shoulders.

"Have you decided to let your hair grow, Meebo?"

The Moon flushed slightly, nodding as he still combed his hair.

“Sorey once commented that I would look good with long hair, so I decided to try it…”

“And you still refuse to see how much you two are in love with each other? Why do you insist on this stupid idea that you can't be together? "

Before Mikleo could speak, Edna snorted and walked to the bedroom doors, opening it.

“This stubbornness and denial will still bring regret, Meebo. Think carefully about what you are doing to yourself. ”

And the earth spirit was gone, closing the doors upon leaving the room and leaving the Moon to mourn alone, sighing and throwing himself once more into bed. Mikleo even tried to resume reading, but Edna's words kept returning to his mind and distracting him from anything that made him not think of his greatest source of sadness. Mikleo couldn't just tell Sorey that he loved him after he said that he didn't want a romantic relationship between them, so the Moon just kept all these feelings and thoughts to himself to suffer alone. 

After Sorey’s four days of punishment, Mikleo beamed like a night sky full of shining stars, happy to reunite with his best friend and forgetting for the rest of the day the confusing feeling-tempest inside him.

* * *

Sorey once more awakened from dreamlike memories of the past 700 years since meeting Mikleo. Memories that were sweet and equally made him suffer, but he could not help but be addicted to them. He opened his eyes slowly with the faint rays of sunlight illuminating his room.

It wasn't winter yet, but it was colder than it should have been, more proof that his illness was severe enough to weaken the heat of the sun itself. There was almost no strength left in Sorey, but he didn't want to be locked in his room anymore, he was tired of this continuous rest that didn't help his situation. He wanted to explore the ruins of the forest, run through endless green camps and just be with Mikleo.

Gradually he got up from his bed after totally waking up with that thought. He hadn't seen Mikleo in weeks and, knowing that he didn't have much time left, decided to go after the Moon even if it cost him what was left of his life at that moment. He changed from his pajamas to warm clothes in the colors of his kingdom, but they were too vibrant and lively for those on the verge of collapse like himself.

It was ironic to think that the source of his happiness was also the reason for his suffering. Well, nobody told him that love wasn't painful, Sorey just didn't expect to get sick because of it. For seven hundred years he loved Mikleo and for seven hundred years tried to win his heart, but all had failed, and Sorey was not a brute idiot to force himself on Mikleo, he wanted their love to be as beautiful as the sky. The Moon did not seem to totally reject the love of the Sun, but that was still not enough to assert that he loved him back, perhaps Mikleo only loved him platonically.

After his last attempt at courting ten years ago - when Sorey practiced a beautiful song he composed for Mikleo along with the guitar to serenade the Moon, he failed miserably with Mikleo returning to his room immediately after hearing the first stanza of the song - the Sun never again tried to do something like that, falling ill almost immediately. The culprit was not Mikleo, the culprit was himself.

Secretly, Sorey left his room, making sure no one was around to stop him from running away. He just had to get to the royal stable, where he would ride Windur into the night realm to meet Mikleo and declare to him one last time before saying goodbye to the world. It was a good plan if he had not forgotten to consider his poor health and all the people in the castle who would surely notice him at first sight.

Due to some miracle, Sorey managed to dodge all the castle guards and servants to where the stable was located, even escaping from Lailah and his mother who were talking about him as they passed a corridor. The Sun felt a stab of pain for worrying his mother so much, and even more for running away to his end without even saying goodbye, they would never let him go if they knew.

Upon entering the stable an umbrella was opened in his face, and of course only a certain earth spirit always walked with an umbrella in hand. Edna watched him without a hint of surprise, leaning the umbrella on her shoulders and blocking his way to Windur.

"Where do you think you're going under those conditions, Sorey?"

"I'm going to see Mikleo." He answered with a certainty that he knew he could not promise, but it still made Edna arch an eyebrow at an answer with such assuredness coming from the downcast Sun.

"You know you're too weak, right?"

Sorey nodded without unease.

"You know if I want to stop you, I'll succeed it, right?"

Again he nodded, this time a little apprehensive.

“Still, I need to see Mikleo, Edna! I-I may not have another chance to say everything I need to tell him.”

Sorey was almost throwing himself to the ground to beg on his knees for Edna to let him go, but it didn't take even half of it, with Edna stepping aside and opening Sorey's way to the horse.

“You've had so many chances to do this before… It's like I always said, two hopelessly in love idiots.”

Sorey looked at her in confusion, Edna ignored the questions in the Sun's gaze and turned her back to him, covering her image with the umbrella and walking slowly to the stable's exit.

“You're too slow… Go quickly, and don't make me regret letting you go.”

Sorey quickly mounted Windur, smiling gratefully at Edna, who stood in the doorway with her back still awaiting his departure.

"Thank you, Edna."

He rode off to the castle gates without looking back, speeding up as he approached it. Some patrol guards spotted him but didn't immediately recognize him because of the speed. As Sorey sped past them, some shouted and tried to chase after him in vain. Sorey continued on his way, ignoring the guards' shouts of protest. He would definitely get scolded by his mother and Lailah later.

While all this was going on, Mikleo paced, slightly disturbed, in the garden of the castle of night, twirling one of the loose strands of his already long hair in his fingers. Since he woke up he had a feeling that something bad was going to happen, and the Moon could do nothing but fear it.

He never spent so long without seeing Sorey in his life, but everyone said it was dangerous to visit him at the moment because of his illness. They said it could be contagious, and they didn't want to risk the health of the Moon. _Bullshit,_ Mikleo thought frustratedly, it was impossible for him to get sick like that, and he knew that probably having the Moon's support and company would be better as they tried to find a miracle cure.

He huffed loudly, running his hands through his hair and loosening his high ponytail before redoing it again. With that he looked at the sky, in the last months it had always been gray during the day, but on that particular day it was darker than usual. The sun was dying. _Sorey_ was dying.

Mikleo felt his heart tighten at the thought, but unfortunately it was no use trying to fool himself with sweet words that everything would be all right, he knew that the threat of Sorey dying was the most likely to happen. It wasn't sure that it would happen, but if there was really no cure then they should at least let Mikleo stay with him during his last days, no matter how much it broke his heart into a million pieces. How many times has the Moon cried in secret in the last few months with just a single thought that unleashed his tears? To imagine a future where Sorey no longer existed was worse than death, and even if another were bestowed with the powers of the sun to replace the deceased one, Sorey would always be Mikleo's one and only true sun.

After so many days with the discouraged Moon, eating and drinking almost nothing and practically living in isolation from social interaction (something that was already worrying everyone), a glint of determination came into Mikleo's eyes. Glancing one last time at Sorey's flowers who always filled him with a little hope and happiness, he ran after his mare. No one would stop him from staying with Sorey at that moment. No one.

Some servants and guards stopped their tasks to look curiously at the prince crossing the castle at high speed with energy they were already missing in the Moon. It was nothing suspicious, so no one stopped Mikleo until his destination.

"Acqua, I know you aren’t in very good shape these days, but I hope you can still get me where I need to and fast."

The Moon said breathlessly to the mare as soon as he entered her stable wing. The mare seemed happy to see him agitated and whinnied, as if responding to what her owner said. It was not long before Mikleo readied the saddle and reins on Acqua, then mounted and broke out of the castle gates before anyone could question his destination. He prayed that Sorey could wait for him one last time.

The Sun was already far from the kingdom of day, entering the territory of the village of Dusk and Dawn. Windur rode with the speed of the winds, and Sorey held on as best he could, but even his stamina was limited, and he fell as they crossed one the last house in the village. Windur stopped immediately as soon as he saw his owner fallen and groaning in pain on the floor, Sorey struggled to his feet and stroked the horse's head trying to comfort him.

"It's too late…"

Sorey tried to smile but failed. He would never be able to get to Mikleo in time or return to the castle now that he could no longer ride in Windur in this condition. He looked around to see if anyone had seen him, but no, the village of Dusk and Dawn was deserted in that area.

Dusk and Dawn. Where he first met Mikleo. Where he dragged him to his hiding place in the woods for the first time.

This time he managed to smile, a weak and painful smile, but still a smile. He fastened Windur's reins to a log and began struggling into the forest, slowly disappearing into the vegetation. Soon it would be time to lower the sun, but Sorey feared that he no longer had the strength to do so, only wanting to reach the place where he kept most of his sweet and painful memories.

Mikleo passed the village of Dusk and Dawn a few minutes after that, taking another route, and he didn’t see Windur. Acqua moved with the speed and fluidity of water, dodging any obstacles in its path and quickly reaching the castle gates of the day where it was surprised by mounted soldiers and, in front of all, Selene, Lailah and Edna.

"What is happening here?" He asked as soon as he was close enough to the trio, stopping abruptly. Edna turned her face in surprise as soon as she heard his voice, then changed to an expression of concern the prince had never seen before in Edna’s face. Something was not right, Edna clearly did not expect to see him there alone.

"Mikleo!" Lailah went to meet him as Selene remained teary-eyed in place and sent the soldiers on their search expedition. Edna accompanied Lailah, but made sure to keep the umbrella covering her face.

“Sorey ran away minutes ago and we haven't found him yet. Oh, Mikleo, you know how sick he’s been these days!” Lailah wailed, almost collapsing right there if it wasn't for the hope of still finding Sorey and bringing him home safely. Edna finally looked at him, and it stirred something in him, as if it was up to no one but him to find Sorey. Mikleo nodded discreetly and left again with Acqua without hearing any protest.

Where could Sorey be? He probably would have gone toward the night realm, but Mikleo didn't cross him on the way… It was time for the night to take the place of the day, and maybe that at least could tell him that Sorey was fine. Mounted on Acqua, Mikleo raised the moon in the sky, but strangely the sun did not move, causing an eclipse. Mikleo almost fell from the mare when he saw it, his eyes wide.

A solar eclipse.

Sorey _never_ missed the sunset time.

Mikleo reined in and made Acqua go even faster. Arriving in the village of Dusk and Dawn, the Moon saw the white mane of Windur and the familiar saddle with the symbol of the kingdom of the day. Acqua almost slipped with the sudden change of direction, stopping beside Windur, who whinnied as he recognized the prince of the night and his mare.

The Moon looked around and stopped to stare at the entrance of the forest. _Sorey was a huge idiot_. Mikleo didn't even bother to tie Acqua's reins along with Windur's, running hurriedly through the trees and plants of the forest he already knew like the back of his hand. The clothes he was wearing were certainly not suitable for running through dense vegetation and would probably get ruined after bumping into all sorts of plants, but Mikleo couldn't care less about that. He was desperate. He'd never been too afraid of anything, but if it wasn't for the adrenaline he felt at the moment, he would probably be huddled on the floor crying and praying for the best. But no miracle would happen at that moment, so he forced himself to keep running to their hiding place. The eclipse made it difficult for him to see, but he still managed to get there successfully.

He stopped near the gazebo bridge on the lake, scanning his eyes for any sign of Sorey. He spotted a mop of brown hair on the floor of the gazebo and ran there, knowing it would be the Sun. He skidded to the ground as he knelt in advance on Sorey's side, panting from running so hard but still worried, holding Sorey's face and wrist with shaking hands and eyes finally starting to burn.

The sun had not yet extinguished, Mikleo still had time.

“Sorey! Sorey!” He tried to lightly shake the prince's body in his arms. "Open your eyes, please!"

Sorey frowned at that and half-opened his eyes, smiling weakly as he recognized Mikleo's angelic face bathed in extreme concern.

“Mikleo? How did you know I was here? ”

His voice was low and hoarse, causing the Moon to accumulate tears in the corners of his eyes and shake his head in a mixture of anger and sadness.

"Here's where we almost always meet, you idiot!" He almost shouted, brushing Sorey's hair that was in the way of his face. The sun laughed - or at least tried - and shook his head.

“Of course…” He stared at Mikleo with affection-filled eyes, “It doesn't matter, I just needed to see you one more time… Talk to you one more time.”

Mikleo shook his head in exasperation, looking around trying to think of some strategy to help Sorey or get him out of there as fast as he could.

“We don't have time for this, Sorey! Can you- ”

“Mikleo, stop and listen to me. It's too late now, so let me tell you something important before the inevitable happens… ”

“Don't say bullshit, Sorey!! I'm going to help you! Nothing bad will happen!”

The Sun covered the Moon's hand still on his cheek with his own without removing the faint smile from his face. Mikleo's hair was a mess after so much hurry trying to find Sorey, but for the Sun, he was more beautiful than ever.

“Mikleo… I'm so sorry for everything I did. Since the beginning I couldn't- I didn't have the courage to tell you everything I feel.” He coughed, “Mikleo, you've always been the most important person to me, you've always been the light of my life…”

The Moon couldn't hold back anymore, tears streaming down his cheeks as he continued to support the Sun's body as if his life depended on it.

"I only shine because of you, Sorey!"

“I never used the right words to express myself. Even if I had given you so many gifts, none of them would say the words for me.” He stroked the pale hand on his cheek. “Mikleo, all this time, even if you rejected me, I've never been anything but in love with you. And I will never cease to be.”

Mikleo's eyes widened at the words spoken, his lips tightening in a thin line holding sobs as he felt Sorey's body temperature getting colder and colder as time passed.

"Sorey, but you-"

“I love you, Mikleo. More than anything. I wish I could take you on dates as normal couples do - even if we're not one - and kiss you in the dusk and dawn between our duty of raising and lowering the sun and moon, but I took too long to ask you and now I have no more time. ”

The words hit his heart and broke it into pieces. Sorey always loved him. He always wanted something more with Mikleo, but Mikleo was blinded by negativity and denied what could have come true. He hated to admit it, but Edna was right, and now the time was up. Sorey's eyes closed slowly and the smile remained on his now icy face.

“Sorey? _Sorey_!” Mikleo shook and hugged the Sun's numb body, “Sorey please open your eyes! I could never tell you the truth either! I love you, Sorey!!”

Nothing happened, Mikleo's tears wetting their clothes, and the prince held the cold face of the Sun in his desperate hands. He couldn't see straight - his vision blurred by tears, and he couldn't think straight anymore either, just lowering his face and touching their foreheads together affectionately.

"Sorry about everything too, Sorey, I'll never stop loving you."

And in the growing darkness of the sun fading into the sky and the night taking its rightful place, closing its eyes, Mikleo sealed their lips in a soft, salty kiss with the tears that were traveling into his mouth.

Mikleo never wanted to leave Sorey again, prolonging the touch of their lips for an eternity and thinking of nothing else, feeling vast unhappiness about losing the one true love of his life because of him. He broke away from Sorey without distancing their faces, trying to control his crying miserably.

As he mourned his loss and wondered what he would do with his life after that, he felt the warm palm of a hand drying one of his new tears. Mikleo opened his eyes so fast he even felt a stab of pain.

Sorey had opened his eyes again, his smile now wider to Mikleo, who was looking at him incredulously. The Sun sat up as the Moon was no longer holding him so tightly, still wiping the insistent tears.

"Please don't cry anymore, Mikleo."

Sorey said hoarsely, and his own eyes were watery. Mikleo mumbled something Sorey couldn't hear, and threw himself around the Sun's neck, hugging him as tightly as before.

“Sorey! Sorey, you are back! Thank Maotelus! Oh, lords… ”

Mikleo cried more, but this time Sorey could feel a smile against his shoulder. He hugged him back, kissing the top of Mikleo's head and muttering apologies.

“All thanks to you, Mikleo…”

The Moon parted to look Sorey in the eyes but not enough to undo the hug between them. Mikleo's face was a mixture of anger and extreme happiness, leaving him with a funny expression that made Sorey laugh, yielding a faint punch from Mikleo. 

“W-what are you laughing at? Don't you see what we just went through here, Sorey?! ”

"I love you, Mikleo."

The Moon did not expect those words after his complaint, blushing like a tomato and giving another weak punch towards the Sun.

“I love you too, Sorey…”

He said it anyway, and Sorey kissed him, beaming, a true sweet kiss this time, both of them not holding back a smile during the kiss. They parted and kissed again three more times before they were content to just stare at each other in pure bliss.

"Does that mean you agree to go out with me?"

“Do you still have to ask, Sorey? Of course." 

"Will you _marry_ me?!"

That made Mikleo gasp and pull back a little, his face red like Lailah’s flames.

"H-how dare you make such a proposal right now, ugh, you could have been that straight with me before!"

Sorey laughed and approached Mikleo again, holding back to not make a pun (Lailah’s influence over him, of course).

"I'm kidding!- I mean, if-if you accept then ..."

"Not yet!"

Sorey didn't care about Mikleo refusing his proposal, now that they had all the time in the world to date properly (even though others said they'd been a couple for years) before they considered having an official ceremony for everything.

The Sun and the Moon remained embracing each other for a long time caressing under the solar eclipse in the same place where all their feelings began: In an old gazebo in the middle of a lake hidden by the dense forest in the village of Dusk and Dawn. Of course, when they finally found the strength to move from where they were and met their friends and family, who were worrying to death, no one was surprised by their announcement of them dating. It was no problem, all that mattered was that they were finally together and happy. Dezel surprisingly won Rose's bet and soon a new one was made, how long would it take for them to get married?

Ten years later, Mikleo finally accepted Sorey's twenty-third marriage proposal and they lived happily ever after.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you liked! I will write another fanfic about the wedding (and more chaos), but I think it will take a little longer to post ^^'' (please be patient with me) 
> 
> Please remember to check Raine's art and the other works for this big bang! owo/


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